Part 543

Budget: revenues: $389 million expenditures: $551 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)

Industries: food processing, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear

Industrial production growth rate: 1.4% (1994 est.)

Electricity: capacity: 460,000 kW production: 1.64 billion kWh (1994) consumption per capita: 376 kWh (1993)

Agriculture: coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, rice, corn, cassava (tapioca), citrus, beans; beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy products

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US

Exports: $525.5 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: meat, coffee, cotton, sugar, seafood, gold, bananas partners: US, Central America, Canada, Germany

Imports: $870 million (c.i.f., 1995 est.) commodities: consumer goods, machinery and equipment, petroleum products partners: Central America, US, Venezuela, Japan

External debt: $11.7 billion (1994)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 gold cordoba (C$) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates: gold cordobas (C$) per US$1 - 7.98 (December 1995), 6.72 (1994), 5.62 (1993), 5.00 (1992), 4.27 (1991)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation --------------

Railways: total: 0 km narrow gauge: 0 km 1.067-m gauge; note - part of the previous 376 km system was closed and dismantled in 1993 and, in 1994, the remainder was closed, the track and rolling stock being sold for scrap

Highways: total: 26,000 km paved: 4,000 km unpaved: 22,000 km (1993 est.) note: there is a 368.5 km portion of the Pan-American Highway which is not included in the total

Waterways: 2,220 km, including 2 large lakes

Pipelines: crude oil 56 km

Ports: Bluefields, Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino, Rama, San Juan del Sur

Merchant marine: none

Airports: total: 148 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 3 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 3 with paved runways under 914 m: 107 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 32 (1995 est.)

Communications --------------

Telephones: 66,810 (1993 est.)

Telephone system: low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System domestic: wire and microwave radio relay international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean Region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 45, FM 0, shortwave 3

Radios: 1.037 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 7 (1994 est.)

Televisions: 260,000 (1992 est.)